PMI-Milwaukee Breakfast Discussion - Career Planning for Project Managers

I am invited to be a guest speaker/panelist tomorrow at my local Project Management Institute (PMI-Milwaukee) Chapter.  The topic for tomorrow's discussion is: Career Planning for Project Managers. The event is hosted by Direct Supply from 7:00-8:30AM at their offices in Milwaukee.

Presentation Summary:  

Project managers need to manage their careers over the long term just like anyone else. If an organization has more than a few project managers then there will be a mix of people with different skills, experience, and aspirations. It's natural for some people to leave and others to take their places.

How do organizations manage that mix over the long term? What do project managers aspire to do after they've gotten really good at their jobs? What opportunities can we create for them that will use their strengths while helping them to get what they want from their careers?  

If you are interested in learning more about this topic as a blog post, please leave your comments below.

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How a Commercial Photography Studio Successfully Applied Lean Principles to Tackle Waste: Part 2 of 2

In the Part 1 of this series, I introduced you to the basic lean principles and the three (3) major categories of waste and the seven (7) wastes. Today, we will look at how one organization successfully was able to implement lean and identify some of these categories of waste. Set production in the photo studio has multiple sub processes, but for the purposes of this blog post, I will illustrate the painting process. A photography studio for a large retailer is a very fast paced environment with many moving parts and lots of people and equipment involved. Multiple activities are occurring in parallel and it is almost is like a fine tuned orchestra.

The roles that you will find most commonly across many studios are:

·         photographers

·         art directors

·         photo assistants & lead assistant

·         lighting technicians

·         digital technicians

·         studio managers

·         models

·         hair & makeup artists

·         project managers.

There is a lot of workflow, many pieces of equipment and numerous processes. Everyone seems to understand what their role is, and how they work together to produce the end result. It is just amazing for an outsider looking inside.

The areas of improvement that the photography studio management wanted to focus on were:

i) efficiency in resource (people & equipment) utilization

ii) increase production capacity and

iii) avoid costly rework. In a photography studio, rework usually means a re-shoot or re-do of a photo shoot, which has a huge domino effect on multiple processes and a huge one is always cost.

iv)lack of consistency in process understanding

 Once the above areas were identified, the process areas responsible began their lean journey to address them. The following were some of the lean tools and how they were utilized in this scenario:

1) Value Stream Mapping: As a first step, the process owners for each of the processes were identified and documented. A value stream mapping workshop was facilitated under the guidance of a Black Belt for the process owners to understand how each of their processes pushed and pulled from one another. The value stream mapping also helped to eliminate any non-value added steps.

2) 5S: The next step was to use 5S to organize the work areas. The results from this tool were almost immediate.

 3)Identify & Eliminate Muda: Once this exercise was complete, the process owners were able to go back to their areas and identify the waste. As a result of this exercise the painting process owner was able to identify the following areas of waste in the photo studio:

a)Rework: a set that has been painted in the wrong color, lighting is incorrect due to lack of a diagram, lack of instructions to the photographer on the look for photo shoot, a product shot on the wrong background, and differing perceptions on final look by art directors.

b)Over processing: retouching an look or image more than required, gold plating, and over planning a photo shoot

c)Overproduction: doing multiple photo shoots with multiple looks that might not always be needed or required, done for insurance in case it may be needed, maximizing on the availability of a high-end model that might not be available to come back for a re-shoot, etc.

d)Waiting: lots of time lost waiting for a process to complete, people waiting for other people or people waiting on equipment

e) Motion: Photographers having to move (walk) to various photo "bays" for shoots that are not necessarily close by or props that are not readily available on the current photo set. Equipment that has to be moved from one bay to the next for subsequent photo shoots.

f)Inventory: Backgrounds for photo sets, paint, props, accessories, and other camera equipment that might be used just for one photo shoot.

4) Muri: People that were not required to be present at meetings, unnecessary overtime, lack of creativity

The next step for this group is to address the above areas by applying some of the tools available and track their progress. Currently the leadership team has adopted a daily morning team Gemba walk that helps them check on the progress and study areas for further improvement. 

I shall continue to remain in touch with the process owners at this organization to learn about their progress on their lean journey. If you have any comments or questions on this article, please leave them in the comments section below or feel free to email me.

read more “How a Commercial Photography Studio Successfully Applied Lean Principles to Tackle Waste: Part 2 of 2”

How a Commercial Photography Studio Successfully Applied Lean Principles to Tackle Waste: Part 1 of 2

Lean is a systematic and disciplined approach to identify and eliminate waste through continuous improvement in pursuit of total quality and perfection. It is a concept that has its roots in the Japanese automotive manufacturing industry, however its applications can be wide and useful in various industries. In this two part series I am setting the stage to discuss one such industry, a local commercial photography studio. Due to the constraint on length of the article, I will not go into great depth on all the lean principles. I will however introduce the basics to help my readers without a lean background understand the subject I am trying to convey.


Orignal Image Courtesy:FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recently, I had an opportunity to interview a process owner from a leading retail commercial photo studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In the first part of this series, I will share with you the basic principles of Lean, 3 major contributors to waste, and the 7 categories or types of waste. In the second part of the series, I will share how the process owner successfully identified the 3 contributors to waste and implemented a plan to tackle elimination of at least 5 types of waste. So, lets get started with the basics of Lean.


The word "Lean" was coined by Jim Womak & Dan Jones in 1990. The principles of lean are documented in their book "The Machine that Changed the World" after their trip to Japan, touring automotive manufacturing plants.

The five (5) basic principles of Lean are based on the following:

1) Specify the value from the customer point of view (Identify Value)

2) Identify all the steps in the value stream for each product family, eliminating whenever possible those steps that do not create value. (Eliminate Waste)

3)Make the product flow continuously in a sequence through the remaining value-added steps toward the customer. (Value Stream Mapping)

4)As the flow begins, encourage your customers to pull value from the next upstream activity. (Flow & Pull Systems)

5)As the value is identified, value streams mapped, waste eliminated, flow and pull introduced, manage toward perfection so that perfect value is created with no waste. (Continuous Improvement)

Once value has been identified from the customer point of view in the process, one can identify possible areas of waste reduction to eliminate non-value added steps. A key concept of the the Toyota Production System (TPS) is the identification of three (3) types of waste commonly found in organizations:

1) Muda (Waste): is a Japanese term for waste or futility, anything that does not add value. It is also any process or step that consumes valuable resources without creating any value to the process or the customer.

There are seven (7) categories of Muda namely:

• i) Overproduction
• ii) Conveyance
• iii) Waiting
• iv)Motion
• v)Rework
• vi)Over processing
• vii)Inventory

2) Mura (Unevenness/Variation): is a Japanese term for unevenness or lack of uniformity/inequality.It is a type of waste and it refers to variation & unevenness in a process, work methods, or output capacity of a machine. Mura is often viewed as a key contributor to Muda.

3)Muri (Unreasonable/Irrational Overburden): is a Japanese term for irrationality or unreasonable demand. When load exceeds capability, people, personnel and equipment are overburdened as a result.

Most organizations tend to focus just on Muda and in the process tend to forget about Mura & Muri which are key contributors to Muda. To tackle Muda, an organization must look at the programme as a whole taking into account Mura and Muri and how they can be addressed as well.

This gives you a foundational understanding on the basic lean principles and in Part 2 of this post I will share with you a practical case study on the commercial photo studio that successfully identified Muda, Mura & Muri and how one process owner plans to tackle Muda.

If you have examples that you can share about how you applied Lean principles to improve a process or tackle Muda, Mura or Muri, please share your experience in the comments section below or email me.

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3 Tips for Embracing a Client-centric Approach to Project Management

Earlier this year, ComputerWeekly.com published the Top 10 trends for Project Management in 2012 authored by LeRoy Ward. The one that got my interest was #9. "Client centric project management can outperform the "triple constraint". The three fundamental constraints in project management, often referred to as the iron triangle or triple constraint are: cost, time, and scope. The success of our projects and our roles as project managers is measured on how effectively these three metrics are managed. Are we capable to deliver the project successfully on budget, on schedule and within scope.

While we are so focused on the triple constraint, we sometimes tend to forget on the value proposition and customer perspective of the project. This can be detrimental to the health and success of a project when our client has a different perspective on the definition of project success. Hence, as we bring 2012 to a close and move forward into 2013, as project and program managers, we must actively listen to how our clients define as a successful project. We must learn how to engage stakeholders in discussions about project value and success, without having to wait until the end of the project to do so.

These three fundamental tips on client-centric approach to project management are a great starting point that will help you achieve consistent success on all your future projects.



Original Image Courtesy of FreeDigitalImage.com

Tip 1: Conduct a stakeholder analysis workshop: During the stakeholder analysis phase identify the names of your project stakeholders and their level of influence on your project. Assign either with a influence scale of 1-5 or color coded grid. Make it interactive by asking key questions relating to your project. Example: What does a successful project look like? What does the final outcome look like?

Tip 2: Maintain an updated Stakeholder Register/Journal: Once you have conducted a stakeholder analysis, don't just stop there. Make sure that you keep your stakeholder register updated. Even if you are just engaged in projects longer than six months, the chances are that you might have stakeholders join and leave. It is important that you keep the stakeholder register updated regularly. I maintain an electronic stakeholder register that can be easily viewed by all my project team members easily.

Tip 3: Facilitate a monthly or fortnightly "Listening Session": A listening session is where you invite your stakeholders to listen to their feedback and opinions on the project. If you have a large group of stakeholders, you may consider inviting your key influencers from the stakeholder analysis performed earlier. Listening sessions are a means of gaining valuable insight on the voice of your customer or client regarding your project.  This is not the time to get defensive or come up with answers on the spot, but it is an opportunity for you to listen and become better connected with your stakeholders. This is not a status update meeting.

Being client-centric is a journey and this transformation occurs over a period of time.  As we begin to embrace the client-centric approach on our projects, we shall start to see our customers's satisfaction increase steadily over a period of time.  The triple constraint now has a sibling - voice of the customer or client, and is taking a leap forward as the new quadruple constraint aka the four-legged stool.

I hope you find these 3 Pro Tips for Embracing a Client-centric Approach to Project Management helpful in managing your future projects. Do you currently embrace a client-centric model in your organization for project management?  If so, please share your experience in the comments section below.

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Do you have what it takes to be a Lean Sensei?

To understand the term "Lean Sensei", lets start with the context of this blog post, defining what lean is, and what Sensei means. In the context of this blog post I am speaking on the topic of lean six sigma in manufacturing. Lean Six Sigma is a powerful and rigorous business transformation methodology that combines the principles of Lean & Six Sigma. The primary principle behind Lean is to reduce or eliminate waste from a process and make it efficient. The primary principle behind Six Sigma is to reduce process variation by identifying the root cause of the problem and eliminating defects.

Lean Six Sigma helps an organization to streamline its processes by utilizing a combination of lean & six sigma principles. A Sensei is a teacher or coach in the Japanese language.  A Lean Sensei essentially is a teacher or coach that is well versed in the principles of Six Sigma & Lean and is able to facilitate, lead, and is passionate about teaching others these concepts selflessly. A Lean Sensei can be a role within a manufacturing organization, or it can be that of an outside consultant.


Original Image Courtesy of Freedigitalimage.com

An experienced Sensei has the ability to recognize and baseline a current situation by asking "what is getting in your way of doing this right" or "where is the process failing or differing from an ideal state". Most lean practitioners are trained to look for "waste" in processes. That seems like the most obvious thing to do. But, to be truly successful in practicing and teaching lean, we must look deeper at the root cause and what is causing the process to deviate from the ideal state. A Lean Sensei is a relentless, passionate and dedicated leader that can help lead organizations as they transform and adopt a lean culture holistically.

So, do you think you have what it takes to be a Lean Sensei? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

I am a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt and have led several process improvement initiatives over the past few years. I also co-teach a Six Sigma Green Belt Online Certification Program online through the American Foundrymen's Society (AFS). So, when I get asked the question, "Are you a Lean Sensei?", I almost always respond NOT YET! That is an honor I reserve for my client or my employer to bestow upon me some day.

If you would like to learn more about the principles of Lean Six Sigma and other process improvement methodologies, please contact me. You can also read How a Commercial Photography Studio Successfully Applied Lean Principles to Tackle Waste

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Data Visualization: Free WiFi Hotspot Locations in New York City

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to play with some fun data visualization tools. I must say of the ones I tried, I enjoyed working with Tableau Public the most! I created a simple visualization for the wireless hotspots in various New York city zipcodes. The dataset is among the several available on the New York City Open Data. It took me less than one hour to build a fun and simple visualization of the city's zipcodes with free (and fee-based) Wi-Fi hotspot locations. It is an interactive visualization. Please click on the graphic map below to be taken to the site. Give it a try and leave your  comments below.

New York City WiFi Hotspot Locations Data Visualization

I am currently using data visualization tools to create dashboards for my clients that helps them visualize their massive data in a simple, interactive, and cost effective way. Recently on the Forrester blogs, there was an article, "The Changing Landscape of Data Visualization Requires a Radical Approach" by John Brand, where he outlines the five triggers that might be contributing to this change. They are listed as:
1) Increasing volumes of data
2) Complex data relationships
3) Need for interactivity with data
4)Gamification (fun, playful and engaging simulations of boring data)
5)Cognitive computing (expression of data in compelling new ways)

Your can read the complete article on Forrester Blogs, a link is included above.

Do you currently use any data visualization tools in your organization? Which one do you use and what is the primary purpose? I would love to hear about it! Leave your responses in the comments section below.

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5 Aspects of a Holistic Service Design in IT Service Management

This is probably not the first time you have heard the word 'holistic'.  Have you pondered over the thought of what is the actual meaning of the word holistic and why it is used so much in the IT world these days? Well, this blog post will help shed some light on this topic. Miriam's Webster Dictionary defines holistic as : relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.

Holistic medicine concerns with approaching treatment to the whole body rather than just treating the symptoms of an existing condition. Similarly, when approaching service design, we must take a complete, big picture perspective of the overall service that is being designed. It should not be done in isolation, the impact on the entire service, its management, tools, systems and architectures, other supporting processes and metrics should also be considered. 

A holistic approach to Service Design takes into consideration the 5 key aspects within all its process activities. It ensures that consistency and integration within all IT activities and processes are achieved both in function and quality.

The 5 key aspects to a holistic approach in service design are:

1) Gathering Service requirements for new and/or changed services: Requirements for new or changed services can be elicited through requirements analysis or extracted from an organization's service portfolio. Each requirement needs to be carefully evaluated, documented and agreed upon, so that the design document can be constructed.  This design document can then be compared to the strategy and constraints of the IT's service strategy to ensure that it is conforming to existing policies. Also, it must ensure that the new or changed service is easily integrated with the existing services and other underpinning services that support it.

2) Leveraging Information management tools like service portfolio and service catalog: The existing management tools must be closely evaluated to ensure that they are capable of supporting the new or changed service. Some of the key management systems in a service oriented organization are its service portfolio and catalog. These reside within the Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS) and contain details on the design of the service, technology architectures and measurement methods & metrics.

3)Integration with Enterprise technology architectures and management architectures: Any new or changed service needs to be aligned with the organization's existing technology and management architecture to remain consistent and to ensure that the service is operable within the constraints of the existing architecture. If not, then either the architectures would need to be updated or the service's design would require modification to be successful.

4)Discovery of the processes required: As with any new or changed service, there is impact to roles, responsibilities and skills of individuals involved. Existing processes need to be reviewed to ensure that the new or changed process is not creating a major impact on how they function. If it is, steps need to be taken to educate personnel in their changing roles and processes need to be updated to accomodate for the new or updated service. This includes all service management processes, not just the one process in question.

5) Measurement metrics and methods: This is an often overlooked aspect when new or changed services are introduced. Existing measurements methods and metrics need to be reviewed and updated so that the new or changed service can be accurately measured and tracked. This might not be required if the change to an existing service is minor or does not impact the measurement metrics.

Considering the above 5 key aspects during the service design phase ensures that the new or changed service is integrated into the existing environment consistently and with minimal impact to the user.  ITIL's foundational principle is about IT as a service organization focusing on the business processes it supports and the value that the business receives or realizes as a result of its service. Hence, as a result of this model, the impact of technology on the business and how a business change may impact IT can both be predicted and measured. Adoption of a holistic approach to service design ensures that all aspects of the organization are considered and included within all new or changed services. 

Do you currently practice a holistic approach to service design in your organization or have an example of an approach that has worked for you in your organization? I would love to hear it! Please share your experiences in the comments section below.

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Tool Resource: Continual Service Improvement ITIL (CSI) Tracker

One of more frequent questions I get asked from my clients who are an ITIL shop is if there are recommendations for a good CSI Register tool. After having done some research on the internet and checking in with a few offerings, and I have concluded that though there are some flavors of home grown CSI Tracker tools in some organizations, there is not a tool in the market yet that supports this process. Some of my clients use a basic Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to track their CSIs, some others use their intranet, and some maintain a paper based form.

Hence, I decided to develop a very simple, crisp, straightforward Continual Service Improvement ITIL CSI Tracker tool that any individual or organization can utilize easily right out of the box. I am pleased to announce CSI Tracker Tool from Bluefrog Technologies LLC. It is one of the first official commercial product offerings and is currently in beta 1.0.

If you are a CSI Manager, or an organization that currently following the ITIL guidelines for Service Management, I invite you to give CSI Tracker tool a test drive. I would love to hear your feedback and see how the product can be further improved. Please leave your comments below.

To access CSI Tracker Tool, please follow the link below.





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Test your ITIL Knowledge with a fun Crossword Puzzle

I created this fun crossword puzzle on ProProf Brain Games! You can create a free account and play or create your own games.  I created a crossword puzzle game to test your ITIL knowledge! I found it quite fun and easy  to create. I invite you to give it a try and leave me note below if you enjoyed it.

I used Articulate to publish it to my website. It is not track-able, as it is a flat html file. Have fun!

Play the ITIL Crossword Puzzle

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Video: Do you find yourself using any of these overused phrases sometimes?

As a Project Manager, do find yourself using some of these phrases ? For me, it had to be... "Hi, who's on the call?" , "I think we might have some scope creep here" , "Has the SOW been signed yet?", & "Lets take this offline". What are some of yours? Share below.

 

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ITIL v3 Foundations Certification Study Group Forming

Beginning next week, I will be starting a 4 day online instructor led ITIL v3 Foundations course through Pink Elephant. At the end of this class, I plan on completing my ITIL v3 Foundations exam. Then, in August, I will be completing the ITIL Intermediate Service Design certification course in Scottsdale, AZ.  I know there is a growing need for ITIL professionals and for individuals with PMP & ITIL credentials.
So, if you are a PMP looking to get your ITIL certification, consider joining my study group that is starting in August. I will be facilitating this group and help you acheive your ITIL v3 Foundations certification.  The goal is to get your ITIL v3 Foundations certificate by August 30th 2012. If this is something you want to venture into this summer, please leave a comment below or send me an email.

We will meet online twice a week to review study material and discuss your questions. This is completely FREE and maximum study group size is 10.  More details will be provided to the participants as we get closer to the start date.

Questions? Contact me or leave me a comment below.

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Tool Resource: New PERT Estimation Tool Posted!

I have posted a new feature on my website, Tools & Resources, that hopefully would be helpful to Project Managers that are new to project estimating. I found this helpful to collect information from project team leads while estimating task durations on a project.

I would love to hear comments on if you found this tool useful.

I also found this article from Managing Small Projects a good reading resource on estimating project costs.

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YouTube Video Resource: My current role as a Senior ITSM Manager at Northwestern Mutal Life Insurance Company

To learn more, please visit: Northwestern Mutual

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I cleared my Project Management Professional Certification Exam (PMP)

The cake I took into work the next day. Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, was yummy!

I am so happy to announce that I achieved my Project Management Professional PMP certification from the Project Management Institute, PMI last Wednesday. I got the authorization/confirmation to take the exam in February and I scheduled my exam for July. I must say it is very challenging to study in the summer, but I was brave and continued my study game plan. I was so relieved to see the "Congratulations, you passed" on the screen after the gruelling 4 hours and 30 minutes. The exam is preceded by a 15 minute optional tutorial and followed by a 15 minute optional survey. 

I have already been requested by some of my colleagues to coach them as they prepare to take this exam also and I have gladly agreed to help them!

Are any of you readers also preparing for their Project Management PMP certification credential or perhaps are considering it? Please feel free to leave your comments below.

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Low Fidelity Prototyping - An Introduction

I have been planning to do a blog post on the topic of Low Fidelity Prototyping (LFP) for sometime now. I  have used this technique with my projects for a few years now with good success rates. This blog post will introduce you to Low Fidelity Prototyping or LFP if you are unfamiliar with it and help you get started with using it in your next project!

There is a lot of great information to share with you and I want to keep the posts at a good reading length. Hence, I have decided to break this topic up in a series of 3 posts. In this post I will give you an introduction on the topic, why you need to know it, and answer some  frequently asked questions. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask me in the comments section below.

What is Low Fidelity Prototyping (LFP)?
It is a simple, basic, paper based prototyping technique that is used to develop interfaces for a website or software application quickly and cost effectively. It is based on the simple philosophy of "less is more".  By the utilization of simple and readily available tools such as: pens, paper, markers etc., you can develop complex interfaces that can easily be updated or modified. The finalized paper prototype can then be easily implemented into a fully functional website, application or product.

Why should I use Low Fidelity Prototyping or LFP?
The reason why you should try LFP at least once is to see for yourself the simplicity and the time & money that is saved by utilizing this technique.  The biggest reason more companies are opting for this technique is the time, money & resources that can be saved by adopting it. For a developer, it keeps them from getting emotionally attached to the prototype prematurely.

OK, so how do I get started with LFP?

The tools required for LFP are simple and can be found readily around your home or desk at work. They include but are not limited to: markers in several colors of your choice, crayons, pencils, color pencils, dry erase markers (if using a white board), sheets of white paper, a post it board, post its and creative minds! To stay organized, I have created a LFP Toolkit that I like to take along for my sessions. This helps me ensure I have all the tools I need in one place every time for each of my sessions. I will give you a tutorial on how you can create a simple LFP Toolkit for your team in Part 2 of this series.

Low Fidelity Prototyping Toolkit Contents

How should I prepare for my first LFP session?

Make sure you have at least 3 or 4 sample mock ups of your interface that you create based on your user requirements. You can create these simply by taking your large sticky post it notes and sketching some basic navigation and what the interface should look like. There is no need for this to look pretty or perfect. You can create navigation representations just for the main page or all the pages, user interactions representation, button click states, functional drop downs, page linkages etc.  You can dedicate a separate page on your post-it for each of the above and invite for user feedback. You can also have 3 or 4 different mock ups of what the navigation could look like. 

Based on the level of complexity of the project, this task should not take you more than a few minutes. The reason I prefer doing it on a large sticky post-it notes, is so that during my LFP session, I can invite my participants to interact directly on the drawings and can take it back with me.

How long does a LFP usually last or how much time should I allocate for such a session?

Plan on blocking off at least 2 hours on every one's calendar that is involved in this session. This ensures that you get the maximum benefit  or feedback in one session instead of having to schedule for multiple sessions several days apart.  I run half day sessions with an hour break based on the complexity of the project involved. If you are having such longer sessions, make sure you are giving your participants at least two 10 minute breaks to keep them energized throughout the process. Please remember to have fun in the process and encourage the same of everyone involved!

When is the best time this technique is most effective or at what stage in a project should I utilize it?

The best time this technique is most effective is EARLY ON, or when you have had at least one or two user requirements gathering sessions completed. You also would use this technique before you develop anything on the computer. This technique can be used when a company does not have the need for sophisticated prototyping software or the project has a limited budget.  This technique is also very popular with organizations where end user buy in & feedback is important early on in a project.

In the Part 2 of this series, I will show how you can create a LFP Toolkit (sample below) for your team, respond to your questions, and discuss some examples I have created. 

Please post your questions and comments below, I look forward to your feedback on this post!

My LFP Toolkit

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Video: Being Agile is our favorite thing

Funniest video on Agile teams!

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My Blog is Getting a New Look!

Next week this blog will be getting a new look !! Please stay tuned for the blog updates on the new look.

Also, I am currently accepting requests from interested bloggers to publish articles on topics of Project Management, Leadership, or other technology topics. If you would like to participate in this, please contact me or email me directly with your interest.

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Top 10 Qualities of a Project Manager

Project Smart lists below the Top 10 qualities of a Project Manager. If you are a Project Manager reading this article and would like to add further to it, please post your comments below.
Top 10 Qualities of a Project Manager

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Article: Why use Scrum or any Other Agile Methodology ?

I have heard a lot of debate on this subject from various experts. I do not use Scrum methodology in my practice. I am aware of some companies that utilize this and have had little success. I am interested in learning from some of the Scrum masters, past CSMs, Project Managers that have been part of Scrum teams, IT managers about your experiences in working with this methodology. What worked for you when you utilized this methodology, what did not, what were some of the challenges you faced, would you continue utilizing it for future projects, what industries in your opinion work best for Scrum? I am looking forward to hearing from you! Please leave your comments below.

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My Career Interests & Background

I wanted to blog today about my career background and professional interests. You will also find this in much detail on my website, ShabanaWollin.com and also reading about me here. 

I am an IBM Certified Advanced Application Developer - Lotus Notes & Domino since version 4.x. I am also a Six Sigma Black Belt. I am in the process of getting my PMI Certification (just have to schedule the exam and take it!) I have spent 14 years of my career in IT & Manufacturing, developing solutions & helping companies improve their processes, maximize their ROI and acheive measurable results. Some of the industries I have worked in include: Finance & Banking, Risk Management, Insurance, Metals & Mining, Business Consulting Services, County Governments, & Government owned companies.
I started my own consulting practice in 2009, Bluefrog Technologies LLC after suffering a layoff. I got involved with various technologies besides IBM Lotus Notes & Domino, expanded my business development skill set, maximized on social networking, volunteered in the community, mentored other IT professionals,served on my son's school advisory board, got involved with my Alma Mater, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Alumni, reconnected with old friends, read, re-explored my hobbies of Crochet, Knitting, & Jewelry Making & spent time reconnecting with my family! I realized I was learning a lot more from the people I was meeting and the connections I was making. Learning that would not have been possible while I was employed. I strongly believe everything in life happens for a reason, be it good or bad. You have to remain strong, have faith and learn from it. Its easier said than done! While I was unemployed, I continued doing a lot of volunteer work and explored industries that I have never had any experience in.
Today as a result, I have an opportunity to be working as a Project Manager consultant for a company in the Healthcare Insurance field implementing a social media solution. You can learn about my current employer, Independent Care Health Plan, iCare by visiting their website. As a result of this project I am gaining new expertise in Social Media Marketing for healthcare & persons with disabilities, creating employment opportunities for youth with disabilities, utilizing social media to interact with physicians etc. Hence, on my blog you will find resources and posts related to these topics.
I am available to start on new projects in the First Quarter of 2011. If you are interested in learning about my consulting engagement process and hiring me, feel free to contact me or email me directly!

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